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Telling Your Company Story

Story telling has been a popular topic in exhibiting over the last several years. I’ve used the term myself when talking with clients. And I do agree that when we are designing a space we have a story to communicate. But I also caution our clients that you need to be savvy as to what story you are telling. You have to sort out what story you want to tell about your company.

It matters more than ever!

One of the biggest challenges in life and business these days is face-to-face communication. How many of us are constantly checking our phones while we are with our friends and loved ones...and then find ourselves staring at our screen even in business meetings? (::reluctantly raises hand::) While we can serve our customers faster and more efficiently via electronic means, the number one (and most effective) means of B2B marketing is good, old fashioned face-to-face interaction.

Failure is Not Fatal

One of the better sources for business success I have found is by observing everyday life and applying the principles I’ve learned to what we do inside our organizations. A great example is a recent ski trip to Vail Colorado and watching snow boarders who were still in their teens or younger. They gather their courage at the edge of the run and dive straight in. The kids attempt a trick or move, and I can tell you the majority of the time they fail and “kiss the snow.” When they fall, they pop back up and turn around and try it again… and again, until they get it or run out of sunlight. There is even a fairly good crowd gathered that will hoot, howl and whistle at epic failures. It is counterintuitive, but these kids are celebrating the failure they just watched - knowing the success it will lead to. These kids understand something that many organizations miss, that one key ingredient to getting better at snowboarding [or anything] is failure. You will not get better unless you take some risks and fail, then try again until you accomplish what you set out to do.

Most of us who go to shows go there with the intent of generating leads (at least partially). According to the Center For Exhibition and Industry Research, the #1 reason that exhibitors attend shows is to generate leads. As marketers, we desire to fill our sales pipeline, shorten the sales cycle, drive repeat customers and find new opportunities.

In order to get the creative juices flowing, we have assembled some of the best ideas we have seen demonstrated from our clients and from success stories we have generated. Following are 50 ideas to get you more leads at your upcoming trade shows (broken down to 3 categories):

You’ve invested the time, energy, and budget to generate valuable leads at trade shows, and while it’s easier said than done, it’s imperative to follow through with your connections in a timely manner. Undoubtedly, there can be some hurdles to cross in order to get the qualified leads into your account executive’s hands:

A shorthand formula to help with exhibit design goes like this: "Exhibit design should compel a particular audience into a specific conversation to achieve a measurable outcome." It doesn't cover every situation, but it does help set a pace for most design scenarios. Let's go phrase by phrase:

Obviously, we advocate exhibit design. Intentional, evocative and relevant design is important to any good face to face marketing endeavor. Commodity exhibits are available, and you can buy nearly anything off the internet. Surely, budgets and limiting factors come into play and can't be ignored. But the reality is if you want successful show marketing strategies, you need intentional design - even in pop-ups and banner stands.

That design is necessary to compel, not just any audience, but a particular audience. Some shows you go to may be made up 100% of the audience your marketing efforts work with, and everyone is a qualified lead. But more often than not, you need to weed out many of the attendees in order to meet the ones who will really do business with you. Those qualified leads are a particular group of people. You have a profile of them already: your current customers. You know what that audience looks like. So how do you compel them? How do you catch the attention of more people just like that, and draw them in? How do you compel that particular group? That's the foot you want to put forward on the show floor.

Some things are worth putting on the to do list at #NADA2018 so we compiled the "Top 10 Must See, Do, and Dine," at this year's show, according to Yelp and TripAdvisor. When your sales staff needs to figure out where to take a client, we have an answer.

The reasons can vary greatly of why you were selected to write the social media plan for your company, but here you are. Now what… [insert sigh here]. Maybe it’s because you’re in marketing. It may also be because you’re from the younger generation that grew up as a digital native and are assumed to have a close connection in this arena. Or possibly you’re already experimenting with social media and your success has been noticed.

Ahh… your booth. It is a work of art isn’t it? You’ve worked hard making it look EXACTLY how you want it. Every angle, every detail, the lighting…it’s all perfect for that 10x20 space you exhibit in. Occasionally, you’ll hit the smaller shows in your 10x10 version of your trade show display, but that 10x20 is your sweet spot.